To know Umino Iruka
by Jinkyx
Summary: A series of drabbles on those who presume to know Umino Iruka, from his acadamy class, through to Mizuki.
1. The Acadamy Class

Chapter Title: The Academy Class

Iruka-sensei's anger is formidable.

Iruka-sensei has two types of anger. The first generally occurs when someone manages to pull a prank without being caught; this type of anger is mixed with pride and thinly hidden amusement, scary in its own right of course but no real threat. The second is rarely seen by the academy students and can only be described as pure static. Udon has felt the hairs on his arms stand on end, his mouth dry and his stomach plummet to the ground when Iruka-sensei has merely _glanced_ in his direction. This anger, tinged with disappointment, is reserved only for those who put their classmates in danger and those who bully. As a consequence, no one can argue that Iruka-sensei's students make the best teams. After all, the only students to pass the Copy-nin's test were Iruka-sensei's.

Iruka-sensei's presence is comforting.

There is not a student in the academy who doesn't trust Iruka-sensei utterly and completely. Although they have never seen Iruka-sensei fight or defend, they just _know_ that while he's around, no harm can come to them. To the students, Iruka-sensei is the shoulder to cry on, the salve to sooth the sting, the tissue to dry their eyes, the encouraging smile to ease the frustration. He is father, brother and friend all rolled into one; how could they _possibly_ doubt him?

The academy class knows that Iruka-sensei is the scariest and safest person they have ever met, and they wouldn't trade him for all the ramen in the world.


	2. Mizuki Knows Best

Chapter Title: Mizuki Knows Best

If there's one thing Mizuki knows it's that Iruka-kun is weak. How the man ever made chuunin is beyond his comprehension. Iruka will _never_ be as strong as Mizuki, simply because he bothers with things like _kindness_ and _peace_.

What naivety!

Mizuki has _far_ more intelligence; he knows that in a shinobi's world, a world of _death_ and _killing_ and _pain_, that these things have no use. Iruka will never be fit for anything other than amusing little children until the _real_ ninja are ready to train them to be the killing machines they were born to be.

As the saying goes, thinks Mizuki, the proof is in the pudding. This naivety of Iruka's led him to protect the _fox-child_; the same creature that murdered his parents! The absurdity! That Iruka could choose that, that _thing_ over _him_, his supposed _best friend_! Mizuki can only draw comfort from the fact that he proved how weak Iruka really was. He had been at his mercy, kill for the taking, and had needed a _child_ to defend him! A _child_! How can this man stand and call himself a 'shinobi'?

Mizuki in his wisdom, sits in his damp, stinking cell, knowing what he knows about Iruka-'sensei' and smiles to himself. It won't be long before Orochimaru-sama comes for him and then, then everyone will know how _weak_ Iruka and his kind have made this village.

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**A/N**: Many thanks to **tiddarifka**, **ZeldaFitz**, **Verna Jast** and **checkerbloom** for taking the time to reveiw; your comments mean alot to me! 


	3. Something About Him

Chapter Title: Something About Him

When asked for his thoughts on Umino Iruka, Kakashi's standard reply was 'There's something about him...'

Which there was.

There was something about him which _annoyed_ Kakashi; his insubordination. Kakashi doesn't care how good a teacher or how talented a chuunin Umino is, he had no right to go around yelling at his superiors, about subjects he was out of touch with, in situations that didn't concern him. Umino has no respect for those of higher rank and no awareness of his own position in the hierarchy that keeps the village together. Maybe his remarks to Umino were a bit harsh, but it was the _truth_, and Kakashi had no patience for shinobi with delicate feelings.

There was something about him which troubled Kakashi on a daily basis; Naruto's attitude. This was clearly Iruka-sensei's influence; who knew that disrespect was contagious? Kakashi knew that Naruto's big mouth was also Iruka-sensei's fault; someone had been giving that boy far too many big ideas and made him far too opinionated. Iruka-sensei was most definitely coddling the boy. However, after taking note of the pristine, standard uniform Iruka-sensei wore on a daily basis; even Kakashi couldn't blame him for the orange.

There was something about him that unsettled Kakashi; his emotions. Iruka was so _expressive_, so ready with a smile that Kakashi was glad that they would never be sent on a mission together. It would worry him to fight alongside someone who would very likely develop some sort of _sympathy_ for the enemy. It was dangerous to care.

There was something about him that scared Kakashi; his presence. Too many shinobi saw Iruka-san's presence as the one thing they could rely on when they returned to the village. Some even found his emotional displays and disregard for rank… refreshing. The more recent batches of gennin (who were now becoming chuunin) and practically every little ankle biter in the academy held so much respect for this bizarre man it was quite unsettling.

But what _really_ bothered Kakashi, what _really_ got under his skin, was that…

There was something about him that Kakashi… _liked._

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**A/N: **Thank you so much to **ZeldaFitz** and **CuriousDreamWeaver** for taking the time to reveiw the last chapter, and to those who have added me to alert and favourite lists; it's really great of you! 


	4. Genma Wants Variety

Chapter Title: Genma Wants Variety/_Maim, Kill, Destroy_

If Genma knows _anything_ about _anyone_, it's that Umino Iruka is _far_ too pedantic when it comes to mission reports. Every mission report is the _same_, with the _same_ old boxes, _same_ old details and _same_ old complaints about his writing. So his writing's a little scruffy – so what? It doesn't mean that Iruka-san has to get so… so… _hissy_ about it! It doesn't affect his ability to complete the mission, so what does it matter? In the grand scheme of things, what does it matter what coloured pen he uses? (Pink glitter), or how he fills out his details? (Name: Kami-sama, Sex: Yes please!). He was not 'juvenile' damn-it!

All Genma wants is a little bit of _variety_, you know, spice up his life a little. It isn't as if he can try that out on the battle field. 'Oh wait Mr. Bad-ass-missing-nin, don't kill me, I just want to add a little variety, so what do you say to fighting with only a senbon and a set of fairy lights for weapons?' – yeah right. Really, the mission room is a _much_ better place for such decoration, no matter what Iruka-san says.

Iruka-san just can't understand what it's _like_ to be an active shinobi; life is so _monotonous_; in the most grotesque way possible. Genma's life goes like this; get mission from chuunin, go on mission, _main, kill, destroy_, write mission report, relive the _maiming, killing_, and _destroying_ in the process, and repeat.

If Genma was a qualified psychologist like Ibiki-san, or a medic like Hokage-sama, then maybe he would know just _how_ to explain to Iruka-san that the reason he left out Section D of his report was because he felt _sick_ to his _stomach_ going over the _details_ of everything that he had done (_main, kill, destroy_), or that the reason it was so… extravagant was because he was trying to escape that memory (_maiming, killing, destroying_) and the knowledge that if he didn't try to distract himself with brightly coloured pens and childish jokes, he would lose his one connection to reality, his one bit of _variety_ (_blushes, annoyance, hidden amusement_) and his repetitive life would mean only one thing;

_maim, kill, destroy_, _maim, kill, destroy, maim, kill.. kill…_

But how could Iruka-san, a chuunin and academy teacher _possibly_ understand Genma's need for variety?

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**A/N: **This one was a little less focused on Iruka than I wanted it to be, I started rambling and didn't have the heart to erase it; anyway: thank you to **lilz** and **angelica** for your kind comments - it's made my week! Thank you as well to those who have added me to alert lists, I hope you continue reading! 


	5. Ibiki Sees

Chapter Title: Ibiki Sees

Ibiki isn't like the other jounin. When Ibiki is waiting in line he stands, and looks, and _sees_, rather than bitch, and gripe, and frantically write the last few pages of his mission report (besides, Ibiki would never let himself be seen 'frantic' in any situation). Ibiki also understands the human mind better than anyone, and no matter what Kakashi says about 'seeing the underneath', Ibiki sees more than Kakashi ever could.

Like the fact that there are three types of strength; physical, mental and emotional, and that a shinobi who is strong mentally and emotionally will survive much longer than those who are merely physically strong. One of the more important things Ibiki understands is that there are also three stages to the way a shinobi sees life and their place in it.

The first stage is the most naive, and applies mainly to gennin and the younger chuunin. It is that point when either the shinobi hasn't lost a precious person, or hasn't associated this loss with their line of work and so not only love and form friendships in innocent abundance, but do so without realising, that each and every moment they spend with their precious people could be the last, or that any shinobi who takes these friends for granted is a damned fool. It is easy to spot these shinobi; they're the ones who haven't learnt to hold their tongues and hide their emotions. Not Iruka-san though, no, Ibiki can see, unlike Genma and Kakashi, that Iruka-san _has_ learnt to control his emotions, but chooses not to; for reasons that are entirely his own.

The second stage applies to the vast majority of shinobi. By this point the shinobi has realised that anyone they love will eventually die or leave them. That any friend could potentially become a missing-nin who they would be required to kill, that any lover could be used against them, be hurt because of them and quite likely die in their arms. The majority of shinobi therefore only forge bonds with those of equal or higher skill than themselves (for obvious reasons), and only allow a few that they trust implicitly to get close to their hearts. For this reason higher ranking shinobi generally fall into 'social' groups of about three to ten, for example, there's Kakashi, Asuma, Genma, Raidou, Gai, Kurenai-san, and Anko-chan, and then, Inoichi-san, Shikaku-san, and Chouza-san and of course Kotetsu, Izumo, Shizune-san, Iruka-san and Iwashi. Ibiki, with his self-knowledge can place himself in this stage, though he finds he cannot place himself in any such group of friends. He trusts none of them implicitly, although he must admit to letting Iruka-san warm his heart a little, simply because Ibiki can see that Iruka-san is so much wiser and worthy of respect than others give him credit for.

The third stage is extremely rare, and is often mistaken for the first by those who are not aware of its existence. This stage is for those who are conscious of the risks, who know and understand the pain, but let themselves love anyway. These are shinobi who open up their hearts to all who take the time to get to know them, knowing all the while how it could turn out yet deciding it's not worth wasting their life and love over. Ibiki-san sees this, and knows that he could never join those ranks; he cannot face it, and knows that his line of works requires first and foremost that he has no ties, that he is alone, always _alone_. Iruka-san is one of these few, and in Ibiki's eyes he is one of the strongest, bravest shinobi he has the pleasure of working with.

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**A/N: **Once again deviating from Iruka a bit but I tried to keep on track , thank you once again to my reveiwers; **ZeldaFitz** and **tiddarifka - **I'm running out of ways to say how grateful I am! Also a big grin to those who are still adding me onto alert and favourite lists! ZeldaFitz - I really wanted to write something about Iruka's blow-ups but couldn't quite work it in! Wish I had though 


	6. Kurenai Appraises

As a brief warning, this chapter may be OOC, as the character was chosen deliberately to be a challenge, and is one I'm not particularly familiar with.

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Chapter Title: Kurenai Appraises

Before asking a man out on a date, a woman likes to be sure that their potential lover (husband/father) is worth the effort. Therefore, they appraise and assess the man in question to judge his various qualities (marriage prospects). When it came to Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai had not bothered to assess. Their affair was all about passion and lust (unspoken love), not about a future life (inevitable death).

Now however, Kurenai is pregnant, and her lover is dead. By shinobi standards, unless she retires, Kurenai's own time is nearly through, and her unborn child will grow up an orphan. This prospect leaves Kurenai afraid; this is not the life what she wants for her child. She must move quickly, and suddenly the men in her life are strangely significant, and their merits (paternal instincts) even more so.

The man that Kurenai decided to set her sights on, was Umino Iruka.

There were several reasons for this. Iruka-san was a chuunin for starters, even better he was a teacher and a desk-nin. This meant that Iruka-san was extremely unlikely to be sent on a mission, leaving next to no chance of her child being left alone (of him leaving, of him dying)and an almost equal chance of him being around long enough to help her child become a strong, adult shinobi. It also meant Iruka-san had a stable job, a routine to his life that she knew was important for any child's upbringing, especially as Kureani, a Jounin, would be expected to leave the village at short notice, without complaint, maybe for weeks at a time.

Moreover, Iruka-san's paternal instincts went without saying, as an academy teacher he was used to, even expert at, relating to (dealing with) young children every day. It also meant that there was no doubt that Iruka-san would do what was best for her child; if his relationship with the Kyubbi vessel meant anything, it meant that Iruka-san would love her child unconditionally, whether or not it was his.

Iruka-san was also the kind of man who would have no problems with having an open relationship with her (as opposed to a shameful silence, which was none the less thrilling), and who would easily give her child the affection and love it needed (unlike her, unlike Asuma).

It wouldn't matter that she preferred older (if more immature) men. It wouldn't matter that she preferred hair that was just long enough to run her hands through, that the rough, unshaven look appealed more to her senses than a clean-shaven face, or that the smell of smoke was oddly comforting to her, despite her complaints, because her child would be safe and happy. So it wouldn't matter that... Iruka-san wasn't the man she was so in love with.

So when she asked Iruka-san out to dinner, and when he gave her a sad smile and politely declined , Kurenai was devastated. She felt even more _alone_ and _unsure_ and _afraid_, because in her mind, Iruka-san was her last chance to give her baby, _Asuma's_ baby, the stable and loving life she wanted it to have.

But Iruka-san somehow saw through her defences and understood what she was skilled at hiding (even from herself), took her home and made her tea (domesticity she both craved and shied from), sat her on his sofa and explained her feelings; _her_ feelings. How this chuunin, this stay-at-home shinobi, managed to see and understand _her_, a master of genjutsu and deception, was beyond Kurenai's comprehension. The fact that you didn't have to be a particularly skilled shinobi to read and understand a person's _humanity_ did not tally with her beliefs.

Iruka-san explained to her that they didn't have to be dating for her to come and talk to him whenever she wanted, that she didn't have to be alone if she didn't want to be, promised her that he would be more than willing to be a surrogate relative for her child, that all she had to do was ask for his help...

She was so desperately _relieved_, grateful and... shaken at the kindness Iruka showed her, that, for the first time since her lover and best friend had died... she broke down. And, as Iruka promised, he was... there.

Kurenai would never forget.

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As I mentioned at the start, I chose Kurenai to give me a challenge; I'm running low on inspiration at the moment, so by forcing myself to really think about what I was writing I hope to unblock the creative flow as it were However, I don't feel like I achieved the standards I set myself with this one, so I apologise if you feel the same. On a more cheerful note, many thanks to **ZeldaFitz**, **P'tfami**, **Fhulhi the crazy**, **angelica**, **Ame Mika'zuki** and **Unknown Marauder**, as well as those who continue to add me to alert/favourite lists. Your support really means the world to me! 


	7. Interlude

Interlude: Raidou Sees

It was early when she arrived. Early when she turned up at the mission room door silent, wide-eyed, dirty and scarred, staring at her shaking, bloody hands. It was a small mercy that at such an early hour there were only a few shinobi around, five at most, and all experienced and understanding. All could place themselves in her young shoes, in this child's place, but none knew how to react. That's what she was really. A child. Barely pubescent, with small hands and big blue eyes set in a round, baby doll face. She looks up, her blood-shot eyes locking on the chuunin behind the desk. Raidou sees her teeth chattering uncontrollably, sees her breath come drawn and quick, making him realise that _he_ isn't breathing at all.

Her voice sounds lost, needy and small in the silence, pleading for acknowledgement.

"Sensei?"

Iruka approaches slowly; careful yet sure, until he stands before her.

"Sensei, I..."

Sobs choked back (not here, not in front of _them_), deep breaths (stay calm, get help). She was staring at her hands again, transfixed by the dark clotted mass.

Iruka reaches forward and covers her little hands in his own. The shaking stills.

"It hurts Iruka-sensei."

"I know."

A steady, comforting hand brushes her forehead, smoothing dirty blonde hair away from a too pale face.

"Make it stop. Please."

A sigh, a gentle reply.

"I can't. You know that."

The tears fall.

"Will I ever forget sensei? Will the pain stop?"

"You won't forget."

A fact, simple and truthful, because he cannot lie. Not about this.

" And it will always hurt, because despite what you feel right now, no matter what you've done, you are _still human_. But you will learn to _cope_, and you will carry on, because you are also a shinobi of Konoah."

The girl nods, and falls into his embrace.

Raidou sees that Iruka has just fulfilled his true purpose as a teacher, and sees why it is so important for Iruka to _care._

He wishes that there had been an Iruka-sensei to seek out when he had returned fromhis first _real_ mission, bloody, in shock and dead inside.

But there is something in the way Iruka glances his way as he carries the exausted child from the room, that lets Raidou see that even if he didn't have an Iruka-sensei to care _then_, he does _now_.

He watches the sun rise through the grubby window, rubs his mottled scar and smiles. It was going to be a beautiful day.

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Inspired by U2, a several mugs of tea and a yellow candle. As this deviates from my rough plan and doesn't really fit with the style of my other drabbles, I decided to use this as an interlude of sorts, to mark a half-way point. Thank you to **Unknown Marauder** (Cheers for the tip! ), **Esoteric Memories**, **Fhuli the Crazy**, **P'tfami** (so far, still single, but who knows? .), **iruka sensei** and **Swiss Army Knife**; it's brill to see names turn up chapter after chapter, and your encouragement never fails to leave me grinning like an idiot! Happy Valentines to you all! 


	8. The Old Man

Chapter Title: The Old Man

An old man, a young soul. Aching bones, wasted muscles. Dreams of running, of fighting, of playing as hard and as fast as he can. Dreams of summer days, winter nights, when life was hope after hope, wonder after wonder. Memories of adrenaline filled adventures, lust filled loves. Faces, names, life and joy. Wounds, heart-aches, death and pain. A time when everything was intense and the present ruled, not the ghosts of the past. A dream of a better time. Because he was young.

Now the old man is alone, greiving for a present that is no more. A life he cannot move on from like the young he nurtured. In many ways this slow count down of time and age is a fate worse than death, but he pride and honour (and energy) prevent him from taking the last step into the abyss of nothing. Nothing after death comforts him more than the promise of life, he has had more than his fair share. Now he is tired, and nothing sounds like heaven to his weary mind.

It is little comfort to think of any good he may have done during his lengthy presence on earth, of the people he may have helped - where are they now?

As he rises to yet another dawn in his mueseum of life he realises. To die in the prime of life, is the Shinobi's true reward.

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Sorry for the long wait, and the shortness of this drabble (I think the shortest in the collection) if it's any consolation, the series is now complete, and should be up-dated every other day. Many thanks to Blue the Bloody Baron, kirallie, Ryu Earth, Lunael, Ame Mika'zuki, Verna Jast, new moongirl, angelica, Esoteric Memories and P'tfami for your continued, wonderful support.


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